Officer on the Bus

Drivers
along one of Duncanville ISD’s school bus routes saw flashing police lights
Thursday, October 22 as the school district partnered with Duncanville Police
to raise awareness of school bus safety. An officer rode on the bus with
students and alerted nearby patrol officers when he saw drivers violate the
law. Several drivers were stopped for passing the bus while its flashing
lights were on and stop sign was extended.

The
school district arranged the ‘Officer on the Bus’ operation in recognition of National
School Bus Safety week, October 19-23. More than 6,000 students ride
Duncanville ISD buses to school every day, and the buses travel more than
600,000 miles per year.

“Getting
our students to school safely is our first priority,” said Lari Barager,
Duncanville ISD Director of External Communications. “We all need to do our
part to pay attention and to follow the laws that protect kids in school
zones.”

According
to Texas statute, a driver – traveling in either direction – must stop when
approaching a school bus that is stopped and operating a visual signal. The
driver may not proceed until one of the following occurs: the school bus
resumes motion; the operator is signaled by the bus driver to proceed; or the
visual signal is no longer activated.

Safety
measures recommended by the Texas Department of Public Safety include:

•
When driving in school zones, watch out for student pedestrians.

•
Slow down and watch for children congregating near bus stops.

•
Look for children who might dart into the street without looking for traffic.

•
Know and obey the laws concerning traffic and school buses in Texas.